HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against five Income Tax department officials working in Hyderabad and a private chartered accountant (CA) for allegedly cheating assessees.
The agency stated that the accused included two I-T inspectors Gulnaz Rawoof and Kuthadi Srinivas, three senior tax assistants Quamar Aulam, Manish Sikrawal and Mohammad Javeed, and chartered accountant Pulimamidi Bhagath. They are accused of conspiring to cheat Income Tax assesses and obtaining undue financial advantages.
According to the probe agency, the accused officials misused confidential data circulated by the Income Tax department regarding assesses who had claimed high tax refunds. Instead of following official procedures, the accused allegedly contacted the assessees over the phone, threatening the assessees with hefty penalties.
Further, the ill-gotten gains were reportedly funnelled into the account of the CA before being transferred to the accounts of the accused officials. The CBI conducted searches at six locations in Hyderabad, including the residences and offices of the accused, resulting in the recovery of several incriminating documents.